US sanctions former Libyan judicial police chief Osama Najim

The United States has imposed sanctions on Osama Najim, the former head of Libya’s judicial police, over his involvement in torture and abuses against detainees. Najim is currently facing a prison sentence from the Libyan judiciary and is the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court on charges related to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

A Libyan court sentenced Najim in June 2026 to seven years and four months in prison after convicting him of torturing prisoners in Tripoli. The ruling also stripped him of his legal capacity and civil rights.

Internationally, the International Criminal Court has pursued Najim with an arrest warrant issued on January 18, 2025, over accusations of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity at Mitiga Prison in Tripoli since February 2015.

Najim is linked to the administration of Al-Rada Prison at the Mitiga Air Base, which was under the full control of the Special Deterrence Force led by Abdelraouf Kara. Najim was among those responsible for the prison due to his position in the Libyan judicial police, before being dismissed by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh after international legal action was taken against him.

Najim is considered one of the most prominent leaders of armed groups in Libya. Both local and international human rights reports have cited his name in connection with allegations of torture and abuse of detainees and Libyan activists. He hails from the Arada area and worked as a driver before the 2011 revolution, after which he joined armed groups and rose to leadership positions within the Special Deterrence Force.